The system, known as NexCAVE (micropolarized panel-based cave automatic virtual environment), was prototyped last summer at the University of California—San Diego. JVC said the first full-scale version of NexCAVE was recently installed in Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

The original CAVE system using a series of projectors to reconstruct a 3D surround-environment was originally conceived in 1991, although early projector-based VR systems were generally limited by two major factors: Screen resolution was only fair; and such systems required a very large work area in which to operate.

One advanced system, StarCAVE, is a five-wall VR room that supports 3D imagery (constructed by Calit2 last year) with nearly three-dozen JVC DLA-HD2KU projectors using a third-generation resolution level and 360-degree immersive environment. However, StarCAVE still requires a major space commitment and, therefore, is not portable.

But JVC said the new NexCAVE design uses JVC 3D monitors less than two inches deep and includes a basic setup of 10 panels, as well as a 3x3 matrix in a semi-circle ring. To operate, the entire top row is tilted down slightly, while the bottom row is tilted up slightly. One additional monitor below the center column is angled upward and positioned about knee-high.